Molding-adapter.



- Patented Jan. 22, 1918.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.HENRY T. PAISTE, OF PHII'JADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T H. '1. PAISTE COMPANY, OF PEILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, .A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

Momma-ADAPTER.

Specification oqietters Patent.

Patented Jan. 22, 1918.

Application filed December 11, 1913. Serial No. 805,989.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY T. PAISTE,

a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Molding-Adapters, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to provide a relatively simple, convenient and substantial adapter, particularly designed for appli cation to metal molding containing electric conductors, which shall at the same time be so made as to receive a receptacle, outlet or other electrical fixture or apparatus whidh is to be supplied with current from said conductors, it being especially desired that the construction of parts shall be such as to permit of the adapter being readilyapplied to and removed from the molding.

A further object of my invention is to provide a molding adapter having the above noted characteristics which shall include im-' proved means whereby it may be detachably connected to a metallic or other molding containing electric conductors, the invention also contemplating such an arrangement and formation of the various parts as to reduce to a minimum the likelihood of injury to the insulation on the conductors passing'into or through thedevice, as well as means whereby the latter may be readily locked or clamped to the molding.

.Another object of my invention is to pro .vide a novel device for looking or clamping an outlet or adapter box to a body of molding at any desired point thereof.

These objects and other advantageous ends I secure as hereinafter set forth, referencev apparatus.

vertical sections on the lines a-a and 6-?) Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is an end elevation illustrating th method of applying the adapter to a metal molding; and

' Figs. 8 and 9 are perspective views illustrating details of the invention.

In the above drawings, 1 represents the base section of a well known form of metallic conduit or molding designed for the reception of electric conductors, and 2 represents the cap or cover section, it being noted that both of these parts consist of strips of thin, sheet material having flanged or upturned and slightly overhung edges and that the cap section is of greater width between its edges than the base section so that it may slide upon the latter, though locked thereto from removal in a line at right angles to its length.

hollow for the reception of a terminal block 5 and the admission of the electro-receptive Said block usually consists of a porcelain or other insulating piece 4, on which is fixed a metallic shell 6 having a terminal 7 provided with a binding screw 8. Centrally mounted upon the piece 4 within the bottom of the shell 6 is a metallic plate 9 having a terminal piece 10 extending at the side of the block 4 opposite the terminal 7 and likewise provided with a screw 11.

In order to conveniently mount this receptacle upon the molding parts 12 so as to completely inclose the electrical conductors and permit of their extension outside of the molding for connection to the terminals 7 and 10, I provide a metallic casing or adapter body 12 open on the bottom and having portions of its ends cut away to permit of the insertion of the conduit or molding 1-2.

As shown in Fig. 2, the base section 1 of said molding extends continuously through the body 12 of the adapter, and the top face of this latter is provided with a relatively large opening formed by bending inwardly two opposite longitudinally extending portions of said top untilthese lie atabout an angle of 45 on either side of a vertical plane, as indicated at 13. -In order to form these bent down portions, I first ma-ke transversely. extending cuts across the top of the body adjacent its ends, and then form a central longitudinal cut betweenthe central parts of saidtransverse cuts. By means of suitable machinery the flaps 13- are then bent downwardly into the positions shown in Fig.

6, and their adjacent edges are curled back or rounded as indicated at 1% With such an arrangement when the base section 1 of the molding extends through the body of the adapter, the tops of its edges lie immediately under these-bent down flaps 13, and by means of a suitable device hereafter described, said section of the conduit is maintained with its edges practically in contact with or immediately adjacent the rounded edges of these parts. As a consequence, there are no longitudinally extending sharp edges of metal exposed to engage and possibly injure the insulation of the conductors, it being noted that the base of the receptacle 3 closely fits upon the top surface of the adapter body 12 and has screws 14 which pass through suitable holes in its ends and other holes 15 in the top ,of said body into threaded sockets formed'in clamping members 16.

These latter members, as shown in Figs. 2, 5 and 9, each consist of a flat plate of metal having a recess of approximately the outline and size of the base section 1 ofthe conduit and formed with its top edge turned over as indicated at 17 in Fig. 2. Moreover, while one end of said recess is curved to substantially the curvature of one side of the conduit section 1,its other end, as indicated at 18, in Fig. 5, is extended upwardly to permit of the insertion of said section or conduit at the angle illustrated in Fig. 7;

The distance between the two ends of each recess is such that when the conduit has been entered .into this,enlarged end portion 18 of the plate 19, or what is the same thing, the

box 12jhas been placed on the base section of the conduit at'the angle illustrated, said 20 has two lugs 21 spaced apart and extend s ingdownwardlyfrom its front edge parallel with the body part 19, and'these are'designed to receive between them a projection 22 pressed inwardly from the adjacent end of the body structure 12.

From F ig.: 2 it will be noted that each of vertically movable between one end of the box and the adjacent ends of the inclined guiding sides 13 of-the hopper-shaped opening in the top of the box and the arrangement is such that said plates are prevented from falling out of the box by the lugs 22. They are, however, at all times pressed downwardly away from the top of the box body by springs 23 confined between their top the clamping plates 19 is confined by and portions and the under surface of said top,

and each having a recess 24 to permit of the passage of the screw 14. As a consequence of this arrangement, under normal conditions the lower edges of the two clamp ing plates 19 extend below the plane of the bottom of the adapter. I

When it desired to mount the adapter on a conduit, it is applied to the base section of the latter in the manner indicatedin Fig. 7, and after being first moved from the position shown in this figure to that shown in Fig. 5, and then given a small lateral movement, it is held in place by the overhung edges of the angle plates 19. As a consequencegif the conduit section 1 is run on a ceiling, the adapter is temporarily hung therefrom without'likelihood of accidental displacement, since it must first be moved laterally and then rotated downwardly, be-

fore its clamping plates can clear this conin place, the terminal'block may be app led;

to the adapter by connecting the electric conductors in the conduit to its terminals, and when the device is otherwise completely assembled, the receptacle casing 3 may be mounted on the top face of the adapter by inserting and setting up the screws 14.

From Figs. 2 and 5 it will. be seen that since these screws are threaded intothe.

clamping plates 19, the latter and with them both the base andcap sections 1 and 2 of the conduit are drawn toward the body of the adapter and the receptacle, because of v the fact that the overhung hook-like edges "of the openings in said plates engage the base section of said conduit. When there- 'fore the screws are finally fully set up, the

parts of the cap section 2 are tightly clamped between the base section 1 and the top edges of the recesses in the ends of the adapter body 12 and all of the various parts are rigidly and immovably connected together. l\loreo\'er, owing to the turned over edges of the inclined sides 13 of the opening in the top of the adapter body and the similarly rounded edges of the top of the recess in each of the clamping plates 19 forming the ends of said openlng, any conductors which extend into the receptacle from the conduit are absolutely protected against injury since at no'point are there any sharp edges which might abrade or otherwise injure the insulation on the conductors as these latter are drawn into or through this device.

Obviously, the removal of the screws 14 permits the clamping plates 19 to moveout of .the body of the adapter 12 under the action of their springs 23, thus releasing both parts of the ca section 2 and the base section 1 of the mo ding or conduit, at the same time that the receptacle casing 3 may be separated from the adapter. Free access may then be had to the terminal block and to the conductors attached to the terminals of the same.

From the above description and illustrations it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that my adapter may be applied to molding at any desired point and after being loosely mounted in position, a terminal block may be electrically connected to the conductors in said conduit. Thereafter the application of the receptacle casing and the setting up of the screws will rigidly clamp the device in position. Owing to the possibility of the cap sections of the conduit being slid on the base sections it is obviously an easy matter to provide an opening at any desired point in the conduit or molding, whereupon the application of the adapter and receptacle is a matter of the utmost ease and convenience. v

I claim 1. The combination of a conductor conduit, an electro-receptive device; an adapter interposed between said device and the conduit; clamping means engaging the conduit and carried by the adapter; and members engaging the electro-receptive device for operating the clamping means and holding said parts together.

2. The combination of a conductor conduit made in two sections; an electro-receptive device; an adapter interposed between said device .and the conduit; clamping means carried by the adapter and engaging the conduit; and screws engaging the electro-receptive device for setting up said clamping means to hold said parts together.

3. As a new article of manufacture, an adapter consisting of a container having an opening. in the top and formed to receive at least one conducton conduit; with clamping means formed to rigidly hold the "conduit to the adapter and including a clamping plate having an opening formed with undercut sides extending around the conduit in position to prevent its straightaway removal through said opening by a lateral movement;

4. The combination in an adapter of abox having its top bent downwardly in two sections to form an opening provided with downwardly inclined sides; with clamping means placed to hold a conductor conduit with its open face immediately adjacent the opening between said inclined sides.

5. The combination in an adapter of a box formed to permit of the passage therethrough of a, conductor conduit of flattened U-shaped section, said box having its top bent inwardly in two sections separated to form an opening provided with sides sloping downwardly and toward each other; with clamping means for. holding the conductor conduit with its open face immediately adjacent the opening between said sloping sides. i

6. The combination in-an adapter of a box having an opening in one face provided with downwardly extending sides; and a device including clamping means between the ends of said sides and the ends of the reception of an open faced conduit; clamping plates mounted in the box atthe ends of said sides and formed with undercut recesses to receive said conduit; with means for moving said plates to clamping positions.

9. The combination in an adapter of a box having an opening in one face provided with spring pressed clamping members at the ends of said opening, said members being provided with undercut recesses for the reception of a conductor conduit; with means for moving said members against the action of their springs to clamping positions.

10. The combination of a flat open faced conduit with an adapter'consisting of 'a box having an opening in one face and provided with clamping members recessed to receive said conduit, the recesses of said members being undercut and of a width greater than that of the conduit to permit of its introduction by a lateral movement followed by a rotary movement and formed toprevent removal of the conduit in a straightaway direction.

-11. The combination in an adapter of a box recessed at its ends for the reception of a conductor conduit and having an opening in one face; clamping'plates mounted in said box and formed with-undercut recesses for the reception of said conduit; with a mega 1s for moving said plates toclampmg' positions 1. I

12. The combination in an adapter of a box recessed at its ends for the reception of I a conductor conduit and having an openin in one-face; with clamping plates mounte in said box and formed with undercut recesses for the reception of said conduit; means for moving said plates to clamping positions and springs tending to move said plates in opposition. to said means.

conduit; with means for causing the mem-- with an adapter'consisting of a box open on one face and having recesses at its ends for the reception of said base and cap sections; clamping plates having openings formed with undercut sides extended around the base section of the conduit in position to normally prevent its straightaway removal through said openings and abutting the cap sections at, the ends of the box; with means for moving said plates to clamp the sections ofthe conduit of the box.

15. Thecombination of an open faced conduit with an outlet box-slidably mounted thereon; clamping members carried by said box and having openings formed with undercutsides extended around the conduit in position to normally prevent its straightaway removal through said openings; caps for the conduit entering said boxand abutting on the clamping members; with means for causing said members to rigidly connect the conduit, the caps and the box.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this-specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' HENRY T. PAISTE.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM E. BRADLEY, WM. A. BARR. 

